1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image generating apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to an image generating apparatus comprising a push-up member for pushing up a paper and bringing the same into contact with a paper feed roller.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a feeder comprising a push-up member for pressing a paper against a paper feed roller carrying the same in a paper feed direction is known as a feeder employed for an image generating apparatus such as a dye sublimation printer, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 5-132194 (1993) and 6-286265 (1994), Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. 7-41717 (1995) and Japanese Patent No. 2740215, for example.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-132194 discloses a feeder comprising a movable press plate (push-up member) for pressing bulk of manuscript (papers) against a drive roller (paper feed roller), a drive member for swinging and rotating the movable press plate, a spring supported by the drive member, a press motor provided outside of a chassis, a round shaft shaped swing shaft transmitting driving force of the press motor to the movable press plate and supported by a bearing provided in the chassis. This feeder is formed such that the swing shaft rotates following to drive and rotation of the press motor and the drive member fixed to the swing shaft through a screw or the like is swung. The movable press plate is swung and rotated through the spring supported by the drive member.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-286265 discloses a printer (image generating apparatus) comprising an interlocking mechanism constituted by a plurality of members pressing a front feeding table (push-up member) against a pickup roller (paper feed roller) with proper prescribed pressing force for feeding. This interlocking mechanism comprises a stay having a first end rotatably mounted on the front feeding table with a locking pin, a first arm, a round shaft shaped pressing fulcrum shaft rotatably mounted with a second end of the stay and a first end of the first arm with locking pins, and a second arm having a first end screwed on a second end of the first arm.
The aforementioned Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. 7-41717 discloses a feeder comprising a press plate (push-up member) pressing a single sheet (paper) against a paper feed roller, a guide plate fixed to a housing, a round shaft shaped shaft provided in the guide plate and rotatably supporting the press plate, a torsion coil spring urging the press plate toward the paper feed roller. The press plate of the feeder is so formed as to gradually rotate toward the paper feed roller with the urging force of the torsion coil spring as the number of the single sheets is reduced.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent No. 2740215 discloses a thermal transfer recording apparatus comprising a knock up arm (first push-up member) pressing a recording paper (paper) against a pickup roller (paper feed roller), a knock up arm bracket (second push-up member) capable of rotating due to a rotating shaft capable of rotating with a motor, and a torsion coil spring rotatably supporting the knock up arm and the knock up arm bracket. The thermal transfer recording apparatus is so formed that the torsion coil spring and the knock up arm connected to the knock up arm bracket is rotated by rotation of the round shaft shaped rotating shaft fixed to the knock up arm bracket with the motor. Thus, the knock up arm is so formed as to press a sheet placing plate with the recording papers stacked thereon.
The feeder disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-132194, however, is provided with the round shaft shaped swing shaft connecting the press motor the drive member in order to drive the movable press plate, and therefore the round shaft shaped swing shaft (rotating shaft) requiring machining time in order to rotate the movable press plate must be disadvantageously separately provided.
The printer (image generating apparatus) disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-286265 is provided with the stay of the interlocking mechanism pressing the front feeding table (push-up member) against the pickup roller (paper feed roller) with the proper prescribed pressing force feeding and the round shaft shaped pressing fulcrum shaft rotatably supporting the first arm, and therefore the round shaft shaped pressing fulcrum shaft (rotating shaft) requiring machining time in order to press the front feeding table against the pickup roller must be disadvantageously separately provided.
The feeder disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. 7-41717 is provided with the round shaft shaped shaft rotatably supporting the press plate in order to rotate the press plate (push-up member), and therefore the round shaft shaped shaft (rotating shaft) requiring machining time in order to rotate the press plate must be disadvantageously separately provided.
The thermal transfer recording apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent No. 2740215 is provided with the round shaft shaped rotating shaft connecting the motor and the knock up arm bracket (second push-up member), the round shaft shaped rotating shaft requiring machining time in order to rotate the knock up arm bracket must be disadvantageously separately provided.